Soviet Architecture in Georgia

Georgia has long been part of the Soviet Union in the last century.This era has left its mark on the architecture among others. The Italian photographer Roberto Conte and Stefano Perego traveled to the country to capture the most striking buildings.

In Soviet architecture we mainly think of drab apartment blocks and gaudy monuments, but gradually there is increasing appreciation of this cultural heritage. It’s a bit similar to the brutalism in western Europe. These designs are more and more appreciated.

Tbilisi. Archaeological Museum (1988). © Stefano Perego

Kurpaty Sanatorium of Crimea

The resort architecture has always been a territory of freedom for Soviet architects. Ever since the Stalinist era sanatorium functioned as Soviet “paradise on earth” – the place where they were to strive to get all workers. Therefore, even in the days of struggle against the excesses of the various agencies do not skimp on building palaces for the rest of their employees, and resort construction enables architects to get away from the general line.

So in 1980, the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia trade union leadership decided to build a joint boarding house “Friendship” in the Crimea for the working people of the two countries. Czechs wanted to pension was located in a place where they took a romantic youth – on the Golden Beach. But in those years has been built on the coast, there was only a narrow piece of territory with a 40-degree slope between the road and the sea …